This is a fairly simple project, but oh, the possibilities when you change the size and add a few accessories! Use similar construction methods but vary the size to make a pincushion, first aid station, or library cushion. A variety of Nine-Patch blocks enhance each project.

Deluxe Pincushion

5½˝ × 6½˝ with 4½˝ pocket

Make your pincushion work overtime by adding a pocket for embroidery scissors and sewing clips. A miniature Nine-Patch block is a great way to show off your favorite tiny prints.

FABRIC REQUIREMENTS AND CUTTING INSTRUCTIONS

Making the Pincushion

Seam allowances are ¼˝ unless otherwise noted.

NINE-PATCH POCKET

1Arrange the 1½˝ squares into a 3 × 3 grid. Sew together to make a Nine-Patch block.

WE LOVE LEMONADE STANDS AROUND HERE. THE LEMONADE STAND REPRESENTS ALL THE BEST QUALITIES OF CAPITALISM: DIY GUMPTION, SIMPLE TRANSACTIONS, CONNECTION, AND SELF-EMPOWERED SHARING—TAKING IT TO THE STREETS!

TAKE IT TO THE STREET

There are basically two ways to share your creations with the world. The first is the traditional face-to-face sharing of the gallery show, the craft fair, or the concert. You might invite a few friends over to show them what you’ve been up to. These days, businesses want to feature local artisans, so talk to shop owners about featuring your wares. Approach a local coffee house or boutique about using its walls for a month.

For me, there is no greater or more connected form of commerce than the lemonade stand. It is the perfect model for small business. The lemonade stand is the perfect representation of belief in oneself.

Artist Marcel Duchamp believed that his work wasn’t finished until it was seen by people—that the viewing completed the work. I love that.

PHOENIX, ARIZONA, YOGA TEACHER ANTON MACKEY ENCOURAGES STUDENTS TO TURN OFF THEIR MINDS AND LOOK WITHIN BY CLOSING THEIR EYES AS THEY PRACTICE THEIR YOGA: “YOU DON’T NEED TO SEE THE POSE; YOU JUST NEED TO FEEL IT.” TRUST YOUR BODY TO TAKE YOU WHERE YOU NEED TO GO.

Research shows that using your muscles also helps your mind. Studies reveal improved creative thinking after aerobic exercise. Regular exercise increases the number of tiny blood vessels that bring oxygen-rich blood to the brain and body.

In addition to the physical effects of exercise, sometimes you just need to get out of your head. The mind can be so noisy. That is one of the many reasons I love yoga. I go into the yoga studio, close my eyes, and let go. My teacher, Anton Mackey, turns up the music and I am free. I get out of my head. I am present in the moment. It is simple in that space—just me, my breath, and my moving body.

Some people get that feeling from running, hiking, cycling, or swimming. It is more than endorphins and blood flow—it is Space between yourself and your thoughts; space between each thought. Getting into your body through exercise creates stillness in your mind. Meditation is another way to find some quiet space. For creativity, it is important to turn off the incessant chatter of your mind and to bypass the intellect, to create a fresh place inside.

Many button-down woven shirts have curved hemlines and very shallow hems, so the basic methods for hemming are difficult to apply. But once you know the tricks for curved hemlines, you can alter these flattering tops with finesse! This one was almost tunic length on me and I wanted a more traditional length.

You Will Need:

•Too-long button-down woven shirt

•Standard sewing supplies

Note

Since the shirt hem is on a curve, a narrower hem will be easier to sew and will lie flat more easily. The shirt shown here is lightweight, so I used a very small (¼˝ (6mm)) hem. If your fabric is heavier, you may need to turn up the hem slightly more to accommodate the fabric’s bulk. Try to re-create the depth of the original hem.

Get It Done

Refer to Removing Stitches for guidance.

1. Try on the shirt and mark the desired new length with pins, placing at least one pin at each side seam, center front, and center back. Take off the shirt, fold in half along the center front and center back, and pin together the left and right sides to keep them perfectly aligned.

THESE JARS HAVE BEEN ON OUR TABLE LIKE ARTFUL BOUQUETS FOR FIVE YEARS. THE PAPER IS ON A NEARBY BOOKSHELF. WE DRAW WITH THEM EVERY DAY.

No matter if your creative passion is playing guitar or glassblowing, you need a jar of markers or colored pencils on your dining table (or some other table that you sit at regularly). We have several at our house—one for markers, one for colored pencils, and one for plain yellow pencils and scissors. They have been there for five years. I use beautiful Japanese ceramic cups and mason jars to hold the markers. They sit in the center of the dining table where we eat every day, three times a day (plus snacks and homework), like an artful bouquet of creative possibility. Granted, I am a mom to small children, and granted, I have written that this is my very most favorite tip for fostering creativity in children. But doesn’t it apply to grown-ups as well?

You know what these jars are? They are an invitation to creativity. Whenever we want to draw, sketch, or write, they are there. We don’t have to go find the materials. The paper sits on a nearby shelf—within arm’s reach of the table, we keep journals, drawing pads, and stacks of recycled printer paper.